2/20/18 WWE 205 Live Coverage: Gallagher vs. Ali; Daivari vs. Murphy
205 Live opens with a recap of last week’s show, which saw Mark Andrews and Drew Gulak advance to the quarterfinals of the tournament for the vacant WWE Cruiserweight Championship. We are reminded of tonight’s final first round matches: Mustafa Ali vs. Gentleman Jack Gallagher and Buddy Murphy vs. Ariya Daivari. We then see the 205 Live opening video and then head into the arena where Nigel McGuinness and Vic Joseph welcome us to the show.
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Match #1 – Tournament First Round Match for the vacant WWE Cruiserweight Championship: Ariya Daivari vs. Buddy Murphy
Daivari applies a headlock, but Murphy shoves him away and drops him with a shoulder tackle. Daivari comes back with the headlock, but Murphy backs him into the corner. Murphy drops him with another shoulder tackle and takes him down with a hurricanrana. Daivari fights back and then drops Murphy with a modified neck-breaker on the ring apron. Daivari slams Murphy into the steel steps and then tosses him back into the ring. Daivari works over Murphy’s back and goes for the cover, but Murphy kicks out at two. Daivari applies a rear chin-lock down on the mat, but Murphy counters with a jaw-breaker. Murphy kicks Daivari in the face and then delivers a dropkick from the middle rope. Murphy delivers a few clotheslines and then connects with a kick to the side of Daivari’s head. Murphy goes up top, but Daivari rolls to the floor.
Murphy delivers a suicide dive and then tosses Daivari back into the ring. Murphy connects with a cross-body from the top and goes for the cover, but Daivari kicks out at two. Daivari comes back and tosses Murphy to the floor and then connects with a forearm. Daivari goes up top and connects with the Persian Lion splash and goes for the cover, but Murphy kicks out at two. Daivari goes for the hammer-lock lariat, but Murphy gets free. Daivari keeps control and connects with the lariat this time and goes for the cover, but Murphy kicks out at two. Murphy fights back with rights and lefts and stomps and then drops Daivari with a pump handle slam and gets the pin fall.
Winner: Buddy Murphy.
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We join Drake Maverick backstage. He reveals the quarter-final bracket. Cedric Alexander vs. TJP and Rodeirck Strong vs. Kalisto will take place next week, while Drew Gulak vs. Mark Andrews, and Buddy Murphy vs. the winner of the Mustafa Ali vs. Gentleman Jack Gallagher match will take place in two weeks.
TJP and Cedric Alexander walk in and TJP says Alexander will fall short like always and Alexander says he will not hesitate to put TJP on the injured list.
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Match #2 – Tag Team Match: Gran Metalik and Lince Dorado (w/Kalisto) vs. Evan Daniels and Horizon Delgado
Dorado and Daniels start the match and Dorado takes Daniels down with a dropkick. Dorado drops Daniels with a head-scissors and then connects with a standing moonsault. Daniels comes back with a right hand and tags in Delgado. Dorado takes control back and tags in Metalik. They double team Delgado and Metalik drops Delgado with a gut-buster. Metalik works the ropes and drops Delgado with a dropkick. Daniels distracts Metalik and Delgado takes him down from behind. Daniels tags in and takes Metalik down and mocks the Lucha chant. Metalik comes back with a dropkick and tags in Dorado as Delgado comes in as well. Dorado kicks Delgado in the face and drops him with a clothesline. Dorado slams Delgado to the mat with a face-buster and then drops a leg to the back of Delgado’s neck. Dorado connects with a cross-body, but Daniels breaks it up.
Dorado springboard stunners both men as Metalik tags in. Metalik and Dorado connect with sequences planchas and Metalik tosses Delgado back into the ring. Dorado goes up top and connects with the Shooting Star Press and gets the pin fall.
Winners: Lince Dorado and Gran Metalik.
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We see a promo from Drew Gulak. He says some people think he went too far last week, but those people are soft, just like Mark Andrews. Gulak says Andrews will be forced to tap out when they face off. Andrews says he is psyched that he made the second round but he is not psyched about Gulak. Andrews says he is going to fly his way to WrestleMania and become the next Cruiserweight Champion.
We see Mustafa Ali and Gentleman Jack Gallagher warming up backstage. Their match is up next.
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Match #3 – Tournament First Round Match for the vacant WWE Cruiserweight Championship: Gentleman Jack Gallagher vs. Mustafa Ali
Gallagher takes Ali down and works on some joint manipulation and a wrist-lock. Gallagher keeps Ali grounded and keeps the wrist-lock applied. Ali fights back, but Gallagher drops him with a shoulder tackle. Gallagher drops Ali down to the mat and applies an arm-bar, but Ali makes it to the ropes. Ali comes back with a headlock and then turns it into a single-leg Boston Crab. Gallagher gets free and they exchange rolls ups for two counts. They lock up and Ali backs Gallagher into the corner, but Gallagher turns the advantage. Ali shoves Gallagher away, but Gallagher connects with a headbutt and a knee strike. Ali comes back with a spinning heel kick and then goes for a baseball slide, but Gallagher puts him into the ring apron and beats him down.
Gallagher comes back and takes Ali down with a snap suplex and goes for the cover, but Ali kicks out at two. Gallagher headbutts Ali in the corners, but Ali comes back with a quick shoulder block. Ali takes Gallagher down with a dropkick and then a kick to the chest. Ali takes Gallagher down with a hurricanrana and then kicks Gallagher in the face. Ali delivers a face-buster and sets up for the 0-5-4, but Gallagher stops him. Gallagher delivers a right hand and goes up top and drapes his arm over the top rope. Gallagher slams Ali shoulder first into the ring post and then tosses him back into the ring. Gallagher goes for the cover, but Ali kicks out at two.
Gallagher comes back and works over Ali’s arm again. Gallagher delivers a hammer-lock slam and goes for the cover, but Ali kicks out at two. Gallagher applies a hammer-lock submission down on the mat, but Ali counters and sends Gallagher to the floor. Ali goes for a suicide dive, but Gallagher moves out of the way and Ali hits the floor. Ali rolls back into the ring at nine, but Gallagher takes control. Gallagher sets Ali on the top, but Ali comes back with a cross-body. Gallagher rolls through and applies an arm-bar, but Ali counters with a back elbow. Ali goes up top, but Gallagher catches him in the arm-bar again. Ali makes it to the ropes and rolls to the apron. Ali fights back and slams Gallagher into the turnbuckle. Ali goes up top, but Gallagher applies the arm-bar on the top rope. Ali fights back with a headbutt, but Gallagher dropkicks Ali from the top rope and into the barricade.
Gallagher heads to the floor and slams Ali shoulder first into the barricade and then tosses him back into the ring. Gallagher slams Ali shoulder first into the turnbuckles and goes for the cover, but Ali kicks out at two. Gallagher goes for the arm-bar again, but Ali blocks. Gallagher delivers a series of elbows and goes for the cover, but Ali kicks out at two. Gallagher puts Ali on the top rope and goes for a superplex, but Ali lands on his feet. Ali kicks Gallagher in the back of the head and drops him with a DDT from the top rope. Ali goes up top and hits the 0-5-4 and gets the pin fall.
Winner: Mustafa Ali.
Updated List of Quarter-finalists:
Cedric Alexander
TJP
Kalisto
Roderick Strong
Mark Andrews
Drew Gulak
Buddy Murphy
Mustafa Ali
